A prior art search directed to the subject matter of this application was conducted in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and revealed the following U.S. Letters Patent:
______________________________________ 2,802,077 4,139,746 4,525,607 3,529,109 4,181,825 4,764,745 3,769,870 4,404,437 4,825,020 3,993,881 4,417,109 ______________________________________
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,881 to Marsilio, there is disclosed a snap-action slide switch which includes a pivoted rocker arm engaging flexible elements of the insulated slide member of the switch. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,437 to Quigley, there is disclosed a molded snap-in switch which includes a movable contact blade which is pivoted at its center and is biased into sliding engagement with first and second spaced contacts by means of a spring which is in contact with a section which is within the vicinity of the pivotal axis of the sliding blade. The switches disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,139,746; 4,525,607; and 4,825,020 are generally illustrative of the type of electrical slide switches which includes a flat leaf-like spring attached to a slide actuator wherein the spring also functions as the contactor. The remaining patents uncovered from the search but not specifically discussed merely show the state of the art relating to slide switches and are thus considered to be only of general interest.
However, none of the prior art uncovered in the search disclosed a slide selector switch mechanism which includes a detent spring centrally connected to a slide actuator and to opposite ends of a contactor. The detent spring functions as an actuating member for pivotally moving or actuating the contactor.